Varadkar made first visit by serving Taoiseach to Orange Order Headquarters

Leo Varadkar visited the headquarters of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland on Friday 08 June, the first such visit by a serving Taoiseach.

The Taoiseach received a Galway Crystal replica of the Boyne Obelisk, the original monument which stood of the Boyne River, and was blown up in May 1923.

The headquarters and the Museum of Orange Heritage are based in Schomberg House, in the Cregagh Road, area of east Belfast. The museum was closed to the public on Friday morning.

The Taoiseach met with ‘representatives of civic unionism’ on Thursday evening.

In a short statement, the Progressive Unionist Party, said it welcomes the visit of Leo Varadkar to the headquarters and to the Museum of Orange heritage.

“Hopefully it is an educational visit where he can experience the rich cultural exhibits and gain an understanding of this part of the UK.”

Before the visit, SDLP Reconciliation Spokesperson Justin McNulty MLA said ‘it is welcome news that An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will be the first representative from the Irish Government to make the historic visit to Schomberg House’.

“An Taoiseach’s visit to Schomberg House is a powerful illustration of the Peace Process in action. Credit must also go to the Orange Order for opening their doors to the Irish Government for the first time. As political tensions in the North seem to rise as the impasse continues into its eighteenth month, historic acts like these are a great remember of how far we have come in the North.”

-Justin McNulty, Newry and Armagh MLA

Later on Friday, the Taoiseach met with representatives of the broader business and community sectors, and will also launch this year’s programme for the Féile an Phobail festival in West Belfast.

The Festival tweeted:“We are delighted to announce that the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will launch Féile 30 Festival programme this Friday at 4pm in St Mary’s University College on the Falls Road.”

Féile Director Kevin Gamble said Féile an Phobail began in 1988 ‘at a time of intense conflict and tragedy’ here in West Belfast.

Mr Gamble said the festival has ‘worked hard’ to provide young people in Republican West Belfast with alternatives away from bonfires and the trouble that occurred in August each year.

“Over the years, Féile has developed enormously and is now the biggest community festival in Europe, with hundreds of events taking place throughout the course of the festival. We have concerts, drama, art exhibitions, debates and discussions, lectures, carnival parades, parties in the park, with an attendance of over 100,000 for our events.”

The Taoiseach’s visit to launch the festival had met some criticism. A couple of days later, the festival has organised an event called ‘The Great Escape’, in which leaders of the 1983 Maze Prison Escape tell their story about what actually took place. Critics of this event, point out that one prison officer was killed in the escape.

DUP Leader Arlene Foster tweeted:

“Very concerned at the message Leo Varadkar is sending with his apparent endorsement of all events at West Belfast festival. My thoughts are with the families of Brian Stack, David Black, Adrian Ismay & the families of prison officers who face daily threats.”

The Taoiseach was reported as replying to the criticism by saying that it was a community festival which Ms Foster had spoken at in the past.

On 07 June, Leo Varadkar visited the oldest GAA club in Co Down at Mayobridge, before meeting the Chief Executives of the North/South Implementation Bodies in Newry.

The Department of the Taoiseach said the trip has been organised ‘as a direct engagement with Northern Ireland’s civil society, so that the Taoiseach can meet people from both communities and get their views on a range of current issues’.

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